Fence Installation Cost in Des Moines, IA (2026)
Updated October 2026 · Des Moines, IA · index 1.01
How much does a new fence cost in Des Moines? For 150 ft of fence with wood privacy fence, homeowners in Des Moines, IA pay about $6,500 on average, and most quotes land between $5,200 and $7,800 — $35 to $52 per linear ft. The price covers layout and the utility locate, posts set in concrete, the fence itself, one walk gate with hardware, post caps and cleanup.
The fence installation price in Des Moines runs 1% above the U.S. average: construction labor in the Des Moines area runs 2% above the national mean, materials 2% below. The same job averages $6,450 nationally and about $6,200 at the Iowa statewide index.
Fence Installation cost calculator for Des Moines
40 to 500 ft
Are you a fence contractor? Price jobs like this in 60 seconds
Fence installation price in Des Moines by fence type
What 150 ft of fence costs in Des Moines with each fence type, installed:
| Option | Average · range |
|---|---|
| Wood privacy fence6 ft cedar or treated pine pickets on treated posts$43 per linear ft | $6,500$5,200 – $7,800 |
| Vinyl or aluminum panelsprefabricated panels between the posts$45 per linear ft | $6,800$5,450 – $8,200 |
| Chain linkgalvanized or black vinyl-coated mesh$30 per linear ft | $4,500$3,450 – $5,550 |
The least expensive option in Des Moines is chain link, at about $4,500; vinyl or aluminum panels averages $6,800, 1.5 times as much.
Cost to install a fence in Des Moines by size
With wood privacy fence, priced for Des Moines, IA:
| Size | Average · range |
|---|---|
| 100 ft of fence$47 per linear ft | $4,750$3,750 – $5,700 |
| 150 ft of fence$43 per linear ft | $6,500$5,200 – $7,800 |
| 250 ft of fence$40 per linear ft | $10,100$8,100 – $12,100 |
Some costs stay the same whatever the size — layout, utility locate and staking, corner, end and gate posts, one 4 ft walk gate — so a bigger job costs less per unit: $40 per linear ft for 250 ft of fence against $47 for 100 ft of fence.
What a fence installation in Des Moines includes
Line by line, the $6,500 average for 150 ft of fence breaks down like this: 38% labor, 62% materials and equipment.
| Line | Low – high |
|---|---|
| Layout, utility locate and staking | $90 – $200 |
| Line posts, augered and set | $680 – $1,000 |
| Corner, end and gate posts | $400 – $590 |
| Post concrete | $370 – $520 |
| Rails and pickets | $3,200 – $4,600 |
| One 4 ft walk gate | $240 – $360 |
| Gate hinges and latch | $60 – $130 |
| Post caps | $130 – $250 |
| Cleanup and haul-off | $80 – $160 |
Each line is the price book's U.S. rate for that step, scaled by 0.78 to the installed price published sources give for the whole job (see how these prices are built), times Des Moines's index of 1.01; permit fees are not scaled.
Get free quotes from Des Moines contractors
Describe your project once and JobFlex sends it to a local fence contractor who prices it for your home — free, no account needed.
What affects fence installation prices in Des Moines
Labor and materials in Des Moines
Construction wages in the Des Moines metro run right at the U.S. mean (BLS, May 2025), and specialty-contractor pay in the city's county moves that up by 2%, to 2% above the national mean. Materials in the area's ZIP codes price 2% below the national average. Together they give Des Moines a construction cost index of 1.01.
Where Des Moines sits in Iowa
Des Moines is the 2nd most expensive of the 3 Iowa cities in our index, against a statewide index of 0.96. Davenport is the dearest at 1.04; Cedar Rapids is the least expensive at 0.98.
Against the rest of the country
Of the 306 U.S. cities in JobFlex's index, Des Moines ranks 153rd from the most expensive. The job that averages $6,500 here averages $6,450 at the national rate.
Frost depth in Iowa
Fence posts go below the frost line, or they heave by the second spring. The typical code frost depth in Iowa is about 40 in. — deep holes, more concrete and more digging time than in the South. Your building department sets the exact figure.
Fence wood in Iowa
The region sits between the cedar and the pine mills, with no strong local advantage for either. That shows up in a wood fence's material line more than in vinyl or chain link, which ship from national plants.
Sales tax in Iowa
Iowa's base state sales tax is 6%, and cities and counties can add their own. How it applies to a home-improvement contract varies, so ask whether a quote includes it. Prices on this page are before tax.
What a Des Moines contractor will ask before quoting
- Total run, height, style and material
- Number and width of gates
- Slope, soil and access for digging
Fence installation cost in other Iowa cities
150 ft of fence with wood privacy fence averages $6,500 in Des Moines; $6,300 in Cedar Rapids, $6,700 in Davenport.
| City | Average · range |
|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA3% less | $6,300$5,050 – $7,600 |
| Davenport, IA3% more | $6,700$5,400 – $8,050 |
fence installation price in Des Moines: questions
How much does a new fence cost in Des Moines, IA?
About $6,500 for 150 ft of fence with wood privacy fence, and most Des Moines quotes fall between $5,200 and $7,800. That is 1% above the U.S. average, where the same job averages $6,450.
What is the fence price per linear foot in Des Moines?
$35 to $52 per linear ft, about $43 on average with wood privacy fence. Smaller jobs cost more per unit, because the fixed costs are spread over less.
How much is 250 ft of fence in Des Moines?
$8,100 to $12,100, about $10,100 on average, with wood privacy fence — $40 per linear ft.
Do you need a permit for fence installation in Des Moines?
Usually not: a fence 7 ft or under is exempt under the International Residential Code, though Des Moines or an HOA can still ask for one.
Does the price include sales tax in Iowa?
No. The prices here are before tax; Iowa's base state rate is 6%, plus any local rate.
How deep do fence posts go in Iowa?
Below frost depth, at least a third of the post's height and never less than 24 in. With a typical frost depth of about 40 in. in Iowa, expect holes that deep.
Other home projects in Des Moines
Fence installation cost in Iowa
How these prices are built
Every price on this page comes from JobFlex's contractor price book: what a homeowner pays a licensed contractor for each step of the job, as a U.S. national average per unit, with the contractor's overhead and profit included and sales tax left out. The fence installation is priced step by step, then multiplied by Des Moines's construction cost index of 1.01.
Where the price book's steps for an option add up to more than 20% over the installed price a published source gives for the whole job, every step but a permit fee is scaled down to the middle of that range: wood privacy fence × 0.78 (Homewyse 2026: $33–$53 per linear ft); vinyl or aluminum panels × 0.70 (HomeGuide 2026: $30–$60 per linear ft); chain link × 0.78, following wood privacy fence.
The index weighs local construction wages (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) at 60% and the area's material prices (Craftsman ZIP-area factors) at 40%. Published indices for Des Moines, each on its own base: RSMeans residential 0.96, HUD 0.98, Craftsman 1.02. Treat any city figure as about ±5%; a contractor's quote for your house is the number to plan with.
Contractors in Des Moines build quotes like these with JobFlex's fence estimator.
- Homewyse 2026: 6 ft wood privacy fence $33-$53/linear ft installed
- HomeGuide 2026: cedar privacy fence $35-$40/linear ft installed on average; vinyl $30-$60
- HomeAdvisor 2026: fence installation avg $3,277 ($1,860-$4,843); removal $3-$5/linear ft